Second Sphere Partners

What Second Sphere Partners does

Second Sphere Partners (SSP) is a privately held, Sydney-based venture investment and advisory firm founded in 2022 through the merger of Hungry Joe Productions (James Isbell's advisory vehicle) and AraCapital. The firm positions itself as a "trusted intermediary" between founders and a curated pool of investment partners, operating across two thematic verticals: "Sustain and Protect" (Renewables, ESG and AgriBusiness) and "Improve and Advance" (Industry Disruptors, Web 3.0 and Distributed Ledger Technologies). Its core deliverables are threefold: (i) fixed-price, outcome-based advisory services that function as an extension of portfolio companies' executive teams; (ii) selective direct and effort-based investment aligned with co-investment partners; and (iii) secondary-marketplace liquidity enablement across equity, debt, free cashflow, grants and incentives.

The firm is led by Managing Partner James Isbell, supported by Partners in Growth, Technology, and Operations Commercialisation (David Hodgson, Iain Podd, Natalie Moffat), with a small bench of analysts and an Executive Officer. SSP operates without a proprietary technology platform; its tech footprint consists of a standard corporate website, LinkedIn presence, and — per its privacy policy — Ethereum/blockchain infrastructure supporting NFT-related activity for portfolio work in the Web 3.0 vertical. It also operates BuildSmartt, a wholly-owned in-house PropTech startup focused on humanising residential, work and leisure spaces. The team is small (~7 people) and based in Surry Hills, Sydney, with claimed global coverage through partner networks across the US, UK, Singapore, and South Africa.

Commercially, SSP generates revenue via three streams: project-based advisory fees (fixed price, outcome-linked), capital appreciation and exit proceeds on direct investments (where returns rather than recurring fees dominate timing of cash inflows), and transaction/success fees from liquidity facilitation mandates. Customer acquisition is relationship-driven through the executive team's prior networks (IBM Wall Street, Microsoft partnerships, Silicon Valley VC/PE advisory), founder referrals, and inbound from a segmented website contact form. Pricing is bespoke and not publicly disclosed, with engagement cycles described as consultative and multi-year.

Name

Second Sphere Partners

Legal name

Second Sphere Partners Pty Ltd

Website

https://secondsphere.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Second Sphere Partners is a Sydney-based venture investment and advisory firm founded in 2022 that provides fixed-price, outcome-based advisory, selective direct investment, and secondary-marketplace liquidity facilitation to scalable founders and investment partners across Renewables/ESG/AgriBusiness and Web 3.0/DLT verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Investment and Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

Venture Capital Secondaries (LP Interests & Direct Secondaries) (FSANAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

LP-led Secondaries (Traditional LP Interest Purchases) (FSANAFAA), Secondary Venture Funds (VC Secondaries) (FSANAAAK)

Keywords

• Venture capital advisory
• Growth commercialisation
• Private investment partnership
• Liquidity facilitation
• Startup advisory services

Headquarters

HQ city

Surry Hills

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Advisory Services Revenue: SSP charges fixed-price fees for advisory mandates and services on measurable outcomes. These engagements work as an extension of portfolio companies' executive teams, addressing growth, commercialisation, and go-to-market needs. Revenue is project/engagement-based with defined deliverables and pricing.
2. Direct Investment Returns: SSP makes selective direct investments in portfolio companies to demonstrate alignment ('skin in the game'). Returns are realised through capital appreciation and exit events such as trade sales or secondary market liquidity transactions.
3. Liquidity Facilitation Fees: SSP facilitates liquidity for portfolio companies across equity, debt, free cashflow, grants, and incentive structures. Fees are likely earned on transaction value or as a success fee tied to completed liquidity events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Second Sphere Partners is a Sydney-based venture investment and advisory firm that matches a curated pool of investment partners with founders of scalable businesses. It delivers fixed-price, outcome-based advisory services working as an extension of portfolio companies' executive teams, provides selective direct and effort-based investment to align incentives ("skin in the game"), and facilitates liquidity across equity, debt, free cashflow, grants and incentives.

Product overview

Second Sphere Partners operates as a venture investment and advisory firm offering three core service lines: Advisory Services (working as an extension of portfolio companies' executive teams), Investment Opportunities (selective direct investment matching curated investment partners with founders), and Secondary Marketplace Liquidity Enablement (facilitating equity, debt, cashflow, grants and incentives). The firm also maintains an in-house PropTech startup called BuildSmartt. SSP focuses on two thematic areas: Sustain and Protect (Renewables, ESG, AgriBusiness) and Improve and Advance (Industry Disruptors, Web 3.0, Distributed Ledger Technologies).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Advisory Services Fixed-price advisory engagements working as an extension of portfolio companies' executive teams to achieve clearly-defined commercial goals across growth, commercialisation, go-to-market, technology commercialisation, and operations; outcomes are measurable and priced accordingly.
• Investment Opportunities Selective direct and effort-based investment matching a curated pool of investment partners with exceptional founders and companies, designed to show "skin in the game" and align the firm's incentives with portfolio outcomes.
• Secondary Marketplace Liquidity Enablement Facilitation of liquidity for founders, portfolio companies, and investors across equity, debt, free cashflow, grants and incentives, enabling exit and recapitalisation pathways through structured transactions.
• BuildSmartt An in-house PropTech startup wholly owned and operated by the SSP team, focused on humanising the spaces where people live, work and play.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blackbird Ventures: Australian seed-to-Series A venture capital firm. Directly comparable to SSP as a domestic early-stage VC combining capital deployment with founder support, though at materially larger AUM and team scale.
• AirTree Ventures: One of Australia's largest early-to-growth venture capital firms. Comparable to SSP in serving Australian founders with venture capital and operational support, but with a much larger fund and broader institutional LP base.
• Square Peg Capital: Australia- and Israel-focused venture and growth fund. Comparable to SSP in providing capital and operational value-add to technology founders, though Square Peg operates at significantly larger check sizes and AUM.
• Folklore Ventures: Australian early-stage venture fund with a founder-support model. Comparable to SSP in targeting early-stage Australian founders with capital and hands-on operational guidance, though Folklore is a pure investment vehicle without the advisory and secondary liquidity service lines SSP offers.
• Tidal Ventures: Australian pre-seed and seed venture capital firm. Comparable to SSP in serving Australian founders at the earliest stages, though Tidal is a dedicated investment firm without an outcome-based advisory arm.
• Forge Global: Leading private share secondary marketplace providing liquidity for employees, investors, and institutions. Comparable to SSP's Secondary Marketplace Liquidity Enablement service line, but operating at scale with dedicated technology infrastructure and institutional liquidity.
• Carta: Equity management, cap table, and increasingly secondary transaction platform serving venture-backed companies. Comparable to SSP's secondary liquidity and portfolio management capabilities, though Carta is a technology-led platform rather than a boutique advisory intermediary.

Emerging players

• Antler: Global early-stage venture firm that combines founder residencies, advisory support, and pre-seed/seed investing. Comparable to SSP's integrated advisory + investment model, though operating at global scale and with a much larger cohort-based founder program.

Broad incumbents

• Sequoia Capital: Global tier-1 venture capital firm spanning seed through growth. Provides a benchmark for the institutional VC model SSP aspires toward, with significantly more capital, global reach, and portfolio support infrastructure.
• Insight Partners: Global software-focused venture and growth equity firm with deep operating bench support for portfolio companies. Comparable to SSP's emphasis on operational value-add, but operating at vastly greater scale and with specialised operating teams rather than boutique advisory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/secondspherepr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/secondsphere

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Second Sphere Partners